Over the past several years, there have been several new types of kitchen products that will save time and allow you to eat better. One such product is the air fryer, which claims to cook and crisp food without the need for adding fat and oils. Now Dreo, a company known for quality products that circulate, heat, and purify the air, has entered the market with their new Dreo Aircrisp Pro Max Air Fryer. Since my family likes to cook as well as eat, we wanted to try it out in our home.
What Is the Dreo Aircrisp Pro Max Air Fryer?
The Aircrisp Pro Max Air Fryer is produced by Dreo and is a countertop kitchen appliance that uses convection heat to cook foods. It can not only air fry but also bake, roast, broil, and even dehydrate. The Dreo Aircrisp Pro Max Air Fryer is currently available directly from the Dreo store on Amazon and sells for $119.99. However, it is currently 10% off, so you can get this air fryer for only $107.99.
Product Components and Specs
Here is what you get in the box:
- 1 Dreo Aircrisp Pro Max Air Fryer
- 1 Nonstick plate
- 1 Cookbook with 100 recipes
- 1 User manual
- 1 Quick reference guide
The Aircrisp Pro Max Air Fryer stands a little over 13 inches high and is almost 13 inches wide and deep. The Aircrisp Pro Max Air Fryer comes in black and also has a contemporary, ergonomic design. It features a 6.8-quart basket with a non-stick interior that is large enough for most cooking needs. It also includes a removable nonstick plate that allows the heated air to circulate completely around the food for more even cooking and for grease to drip through so the food is not sitting in it while cooking. The cooking temperature ranges from 100°F to 450°F, allowing users to cook a variety of different types of food. The air fryer even has a window and an interior light so you can view and check on your food without having to open the basket and stop the cooking. The smart controls offer several different functions as well as preset programs, which make using the Aircrisp Pro Max quick and easy. The included cookbook has 100 recipes for all types of food along with directions on how to cook them using the Aircrisp Pro Max.
How to Use the Dreo Aircrisp Pro Max Air Fryer
The Aircrisp Pro Max Air Fryer is quite easy to use. Just plug it in and it is ready to go. All of the controls are on the top of the air fryer. It is recommended that you preheat the air fryer before putting food into it. There is a Preheat button that activates this function and lets you set the desired temperature and sets the time at 3 minutes by default. This heats up the basket to help provide even cooking at the start. The function buttons let you choose from air fry, bake, broil, roast, and dehydrate. Each has its own default temperature and time that can be adjusted by the user. In addition, by pressing the Menu button, you can select from 6 preset settings which include fries, poultry, steak, seafood, bacon, and vegetables. Users can also adjust the default temperature and time for these presets as well. While cooking, you can press the Light button to turn on an internal light so you can view the food through the window.
Why You Should Get the Dreo Aircrisp Pro Max Air Fryer
While our family already has an air fryer, there were several features that I liked about the Aircrisp Pro Max that I wanted to try. First off, while not the largest air fryer on the market, the 6.8-quart capacity is large enough to do some serious cooking without taking up too much space on the counter. I was also curious about the window on the air fryer since I like to check the status of the food I am cooking, especially as it gets close to being done to ensure it is cooked enough but not burned. I found the window to be very useful. I just pressed the Light button and I could check on the food rather than having to pull out the basket and halting the cooking process. I also liked the preheat function as well as the preset options for cooking different types of foods. In addition, it is easy to change the temperature and the time while cooking. Speaking of temperature, most air fryers only go up to 400°F. However, the Aircrisp Pro Max can reach 450°F when using the Steak preset mode. This lets you get a nice sear on the outside of the steak and keeps the inside pink and tender. On the other end of the temperature spectrum, the air fryer can also be used to dehydrate fruits and vegetables as well as make yogurt.
As soon as we unpacked the Aircrisp Pro Max Air Fryer, we opened the cookbook and began planning what we wanted to cook. My son made some apple fritters that were quite tasty. They used the Bake setting and demonstrated how it could be used for cupcakes, muffins, scones, and biscuits. Of course, we had to test the ability to cook french fries. So I took a bag of frozen fries, chose the Fries preset, and let it cook. The air fryer prompted me to pull out the basket and shake the fries around partway through the cooking cycle. When they were done, the fries were crispy and not greasy as if I had deep fried them. They tasted better than cooking them in the oven.
I like jalapeño poppers, and since our garden last summer produced hundreds of these spicy peppers, we enjoy them on a regular basis. While I have breaded them or wrapped them in bacon, I found that just slicing them in half and filling them with cream cheese is a bit healthier way to prepare them. So, of course, I had to try them in the Aircrisp Pro Max. They came out amazing. In fact, my family downed them immediately and I had to make a second batch. In addition to cooking snacks, the Aircrisp Pro Max is also great for heating up leftover pizza. The square-shaped basket allowed me to get more pizza in than my older round basket fryer. I will never reheat pizza in the microwave again. The air fryer does it in 4-5 minutes and you get a crispy, not soggy crust. My son even cooks small frozen pizzas in it.
The shape and size of the basket also allow for cooking larger foods. I found a recipe for a whole chicken in the cookbook and decided to try it. I took a 5-pound whole chicken, applied the spices in a rub right from the recipe, and then put it into the preheated fryer. I cooked it breast side down for 45 minutes so the juices would stay in the breast meat, and then turned it breast side up for an additional 10 minutes to crisp the top. The smell in the kitchen made our mouths water, and once it was done, our family devoured it for dinner. I could not believe how easy it was to make and the results were just as good as a rotisserie chicken you would get from the store. I will definitely be making that again.
As I mentioned earlier, my family likes to cook. Between my wife and I and our six children, we can make just about anything. My oldest daughter and my son-in-law even wrote their own cookbook while they were stuck at home during the pandemic. In fact, when we all get together, we enjoy spending time making delicious food to eat. We have found an air fryer as a great tool to use in the kitchen whether for cooking something quick or preparing a main course for a meal. An air fryer can be a fun way to cook together as a family. Younger children can cook with an adult while teenagers can use it to cook their own meals and snacks.
I was very impressed with the Dreo Aircrisp Pro Max Air Fryer. With all of the features such as the shape and size of the basket, the smart controls, and the window with interior light, I think I will give away my old air fryer and use the Aircrisp Pro Max Air Fryer from now on. If you think it is time to get an air fryer, then I highly recommend the Aircrisp Pro Max. Even if you already have an air fryer, you may want to upgrade.
Check out the Dreo store on Amazon for more information and to make a purchase.
Disclosure: GeekDad received a sample of this item for review purposes.
